1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of entertainment and active participation activities.
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2. Background Art
The game of tug of war is an ancient sporting activity that pits the strength and endurance of one opponent against another. The opponents can be individuals, teams, or any combination thereof. The rules of the game are relatively simple. Two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope in opposing directions. A marker of some sort, such as a flag or colored tape, is placed on the rope approximately halfway between the two teams. The object is for one team to pull the rope so that the marker moves over some designated point some distance away from the starting point. This distance can be of any length, but in some international rules, the distance is twelve feet. Typically the contestants are only allowed to move the rope by moving their feet. Pulling the rope in a xe2x80x9chand over handxe2x80x9d manner is prohibited. Once the marker has been moved beyond the designated point, the contest is over.
Tug of war is growing in popularity. The International Olympic Committee has recently granted recognition to the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) making the organization eligible to join the Association of Recognized International Sports Federations. This is a preliminary step to qualifying as an Olympic competition. There are sanctioned teams and tournaments throughout the world and annual world championship events.
Although equipment costs are relatively low for the sport (requirements are a rope and markers), there are a number of problems that prevent the sport from wider participation. One is that a relatively large space is required for play. In some competitions, the teams each consist of eight members and the rope used is 150 feet long. Another problem is the weather dependency of the sport. Although it can be played in wet conditions, it is difficult, and in extreme cold or snowy conditions, play may not be possible at all.
Another problem associated with tug of war is the risk of injury. If a teammate drops the rope or loses footing, the other team gains an immediate pulling advantage. This sudden advantage can result in the rope being suddenly pulled through the hands in a rapid manner, with friction burns and even loss of fingers being real consequences. In addition, a sudden change in direction can result in injury causing falls, pulled muscles, dislocated joints, and even broken limbs.
Another problem with tug of war is the inability to adapt it to a an indoor environment as a vended entertainment. It is also often difficult to obtain opponents without traveling. Finally, there currently is no good manner of solo or single team practicing or competing.
The present invention seeks to create a novel form of entertainment in which participants compete in a xe2x80x9ctug of warxe2x80x9d against opponents who are remotely located, stored in electronic form in memory, or are virtual opponents graphically generated in real-time by a computer. One embodiment implements xe2x80x9ctug of warxe2x80x9d in a manner compatible with international standards for tug of war in a manner compatible with international standards for tug of war competitions, such as rope length, team composition, etc.
Another embodiment of this invention permits the play of teams that are remotely located or, if a communication link is not available, or a remotely located opponent is not available, to still play tug of war and compare their performance against other participants.
The invention consists of a rope attached to a motor to supply a counterforce to the pulling team. A tensiometer is attached to the rope to determine the force being applied to the rope by the pulling team. In one embodiment, there is a corresponding assembly being used by an opposing team and in data communication with the first assembly. The motor applies a counterforce to the rope being pulled by one team based on the force being applied by the other team to their own rope. In this manner, the system works as if the teams were each pulling on the same rope. The motor assembly includes sensors to detect any sudden change in the force being applied to its own rope or the rope of the other team. If the sudden change in force could result in a dangerous condition, such as overspeed of the rope in one direction, the motor provides appropriate tension to prevent accidents.
The invention contemplates embodiments where there are two assemblies, each being used by one team, and where the two teams compete with each other. The assemblies may be in the same geographical location or may be located at any distance apart, so long as a suitable communication path exists to transfer data between assemblies. In other embodiments, a single assembly can be used for competitions between a human team and a virtual team. In other embodiments, a human team may compete against the stored results of another human team, where the former team is simulated by the assembly.
To further enhance the virtual tug of war experience, cameras are used to transmit images of opposing teams to displays at each assembly so that the illusion of two teams pulling the same rope is achieved. Microphones and speakers can be used to permit the teams to communicate orally to each other.